Mounting system for RV furniture

ABSTRACT

A mounting bracket for fold down furniture having a cushioning portion with upper and lower surfaces. The mounting bracket has an upwardly extending bracket portion with an upper end with a pivot location, and a lower end. It also has a pivot bracket with a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally attached to the pivot location and the second end being fixed to an RV. The mounting bracket is connected at its lower end to a mounting rail that is positioned adjacent to the lower surface of the cushioning portion. The pivot location extends above an upper edge of the mounting rail. The distance between the pivot location and the upper surface of the cushioning portion is about equal to or less than a distance between the pivot location and the second end of the pivot bracket.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to the field of furniture for recreationalvehicles including self-contained motorized vehicles as well as trailershauled by pickup trucks and other vehicles, and more particularly tomounting systems for RV furniture, namely, a mounting system forfoldable sofa/bed and a foldable table seating/bed that when deployedwill remain relatively close to side walls of the recreational vehicleand yet will fold relatively flat against a wall of the RV when the RVfurniture is stored.

In recent years, recreational vehicles and trailers (“RVs”) have beendeveloped that include folding furniture. The use of folding furniturefrees up space in the RV during times when the furniture is not neededand provides additional space for other items, such as items beingcarried, including motorcraft. In some designs, the folding furniturewill fold up against a wall or walls of the motor vehicle when stored,and will swing down from the wall and remained attached thereto whendeployed and set up for use.

However, in prior designs, some prior mounting brackets waste valuablespace in the RV when furniture is deployed due to the design of itsmounting system.

There accordingly remains a need for mounting systems for folding RVfurniture that permits closer mounting of RV furniture to a wall orother mounting location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a section of folding RV furniture in adeployed mode that is equipped with a prior art mounting bracket.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the section of folding RV furniture andprior art mounting bracket of FIG. 1 but in a folded up mode.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a section of folding RV furniture in adeployed mode that is equipped with an embodiment of the mountingbracket of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the section of folding RV furniture andmounting bracket of FIG. 3 but in a folded up mode.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a section of folding RV furniture in adeployed mode that is equipped with another embodiment of the mountingbracket of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a section of folding RV furniture in adeployed mode that is equipped with a further embodiment of a mountingbracket of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a pivotbracket for detachable attachment to a wall bracket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a section of folding RV furniture 10 ina deployed mode that is equipped with a prior art mounting bracket 12.The RV furniture 10 often uses a mounting rail 14 that is fixed to apadded or cushioning portion 16, which can, for example, comprise a bed,back, or seat portion of RV furniture. The cushioning portion 16typically includes an internal framework, such as formed of metal, woodand other materials 17 to which padding 19 and upholstery 21 cover. Themounting rail 14 be part of a folding furniture arrangement (includingfolding arms and other structures, not shown) as desired. In order toeconomize on materials and provide for lighter and easier to maneuver RVfurniture, manufacturers are motivated to design the mounting rail 14 tobe as narrow and lightweight as practical. Commonly, L-shaped metalstock is used, with a horizontal lower portion 14A and vertical sideportion 14B. The horizontal lower portion 14A is typically attached(e.g. by bolts) to an internal framework (not shown) of the cushioningportion 16 and the vertical side portion 14B abuts a side face 30 of thecushioning portion 16. As shown, vertical side portion 14B of themounting rail 14 is narrow relative to the thickness “T” of thecushioning portion 16, and vertical side portion 14B does not extendnear to the top surface S of cushioning portion 16. The side rail 14will generally be located parallel to a wall 18 of the RV or anotherstructure of the RV to which the RV furniture is to be attached.Extending from the mounting rail 14 is a mounting structure 20 with apivot point 22, such as a hole formed therein. Pivot 22 is locateddistance D₂ away from the side 30 of the cushioning portion 16. Themounting rail 14 has an upper edge 32. The mounting bracket 12 pivotallyattaches to the mounting structure 20, e.g., by a bolt, a screw, arivet, a pin, a rod, and a protrusion on one of the mounting structure20 and mounting bracket 12, and a complementary opening on the other ofthe mounting structure 20 and mounting bracket 12 at one end 26, and themounting bracket 12 is attachable to the RV at its other end 28. Theattachment can be by screws, bolts, pins, or other known methods toprovide for either permanent attachment or detachable attachment. Thepivot 22 is located on the mounting structure 20 about distance H₁ froma top surface S of the cushioning portion 16. As shown, when the RVfurniture is in the deployed mode shown in FIG. 1, there is distance D₁between the pivot 22 and the wall or other structure 18 to which the RVfurniture is attached. In order for the RV furniture to be folded flatagainst a wall of the RV, distance D₁ should be about the same orgreater than the distance H₁, otherwise upper surface S of thecushioning portion will be pushed against the wall 18 when the RVfurniture is pivoted upwardly to a vertical position (as will beexplained with reference to FIG. 2.) Thus, the sum of distances D₁ andD₂ will result in a relatively wide gap about equal to D₁+D₂ between theedge of the RV cushioning portion 16 and the wall 18 of the RV. This iswasted space in the typically limited internal space of an RV.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the section of folding RV furniture 10 andprior art mounting bracket 12 of FIG. 1 but with the folding RVfurniture in a folded up mode that orients the cushioning portion 16adjacent to the vertical wall 18 of the RV. This FIG. shows theimportance of having D₁ be about equal to or greater than H₁ so that theRV furniture can be folded flat against the wall. Although it ispossible that some compression of the cushioning portion 16 will permitD₁ to be about equal to or slightly less than H₁, if avoidingcompression of the cushioning portion 16 is desired, D₁ should be equalor greater than H₁.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a section of folding RV furniture 16 ina deployed mode that is equipped with an embodiment of the mountingbracket 40 of the invention. Mounting bracket has an upwardly extendingbracket portion 42 for connection to a pivot bracket 44. The upwardlyextending portion 42 has a lower portion that connects to a mountingrail 14 (by bolts, clips, welding, etc.), either through a mountingstructure 20 as shown, or directly to the mounting rail 14 (not shown).Near an upper end 46 of the upwardly extending portion 42, a pivot point48 (e.g., a hole) is provided. The pivot bracket 44 has a hole at afirst end 50 and is pivotally attached to the upwardly extending portion42 with a nut and bolt, a screw, a rivet, a pin, a rod, and a protrusion(not shown) on one of the bracket portion 42 and pivot bracket 44, and acomplementary opening on the other of the bracket portion and pivotbracket (not shown), or other known pivot mechanism. A second end 56 ofthe pivot bracket 44 is attachable to the wall 18 or other mountingstructure of the RV. The attachment can be by screws, bolts, pins, orother known methods to provide for either permanent attachment ordetachable attachment. Since the pivot point 48 is distance H₂ from thetop surface S of the cushioning portion 16, which is much less thandistance H₁ in the prior art embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, and distanceD₃ can be made much less too, so long as it is about equal to or greaterthan the distance H₂. The distance H₂ between the pivot point 48 and theupper surface S of the cushioning portion 16 is about equal to or lessthan a distance D₃ between the pivot point 48 and the second end 28 ofthe pivot bracket 12, taking into account any compression of thecushioning portion and decreases in its height H₁ as it is folded upagainst the attached structure 18 (e.g., wall) of the RV. In itshorizontal mode, the RV furniture will have its cushioning portion 16spaced apart by distance D₃+D₄ from the wall 18, which is much less thanthe distance D₁+D₂ from the wall 18 of the prior art embodiment of FIGS.1 and 2, and yet provide for relatively flat folding of the RV furnitureagainst the wall of the RV 18 when the RV furniture is in its stowedmode. Thus, by moving the effective pivot point upwardly relative to themounting rail, the RV furniture can be mounted closer to the wall orother mounting structure of the RV. The mounting rail 14 is shown asL-shaped metal, but can have other shapes and dimensions. Also, themounting bracket 40 has as an important function to affect a raising ofthe pivot point 48 closer to the top surface S of the cushioning portion16, and the mounting bracket can have different shapes. For example, themounting bracket can comprise an extension of the rail 14 (not shown.)

FIG. 4 is a side view of the section of folding RV furniture 16 andmounting bracket 40 and pivot bracket 44 of FIG. 3, but with the RVfurniture 16 in a stowed away mode wherein the RV furniture 16 isvertically oriented relatively flat against the wall 18 of the RV.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a section of folding RV furniture in adeployed mode that is equipped with another embodiment 70 of themounting bracket of the invention. This embodiment is similar to thatshown in FIGS. 3 and 4, except that an elongate rod 72 is used toconnect the pivot bracket 44 to the upwardly extending portion 42. Thisembodiment will permit the pivot brackets 44 to be mounted in desiredlateral positions on a wall or other structure of an RV.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a section of folding RV furniture in adeployed mode that is equipped with a further embodiment 80 of amounting bracket of the invention. It has an upwardly extending bracketportion 82 that extends from the mounting rail 14 (by bolts, clips,welding, etc., not shown) and has a pivot point 84 to which a pivotbracket 44 attaches (as in the embodiment shown and described in FIGS.3-5) and attaches to a wall 18 or other support structure of an RV. Itis also possible to directly attach the upwardly extending bracketportion 82 to an internal framework 17 of the cushioning portion 16 incases where there is no mounting rail. This present embodiment is alsoideal for RV furniture that does not include a mounting structure 20extending from the mounting rail 14 and can provide for greaterflexibility since the upwardly extending bracket portion 82 can beaffixed at any desired position on the mounting rail 14.

FIG. 7 is another exemplary embodiment of a pivot bracket 90 that isdetachably attachable to a wall mount bracket 100 attached to a wall orother structure of an RV. The pivot bracket 90 has a first end 92 inwhich is provided with a hole 94, and a second engagement end 96, andhas a through hole 98. The wall mount bracket 100 has a secondengagement 102, e.g., a pin, which is received in the through hole 96 ofthe pivot bracket 90, and a plate portion 104 for mounting to the wallof an RV. This embodiment of the pivot bracket 90 and its wall mountbracket 100 will thus permit attachable detachment of the RV furniturefrom the wall of the RV, and can be employed with any of the abovedescribed embodiments of the invention. Other type of detachableattachments can also be used.

Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, itshould be understood by those skilled in the art that the abovedisclosures are exemplary only and that various other alternatives,adaptations and modifications may be made within the scope of thepresent invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are to beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

1. A mounting bracket for mounting fold down furniture to a wall orother structure, having a cushioning portion with an upper surface and alower surface, the mounting bracket comprising: an upwardly extendingbracket portion having a lower end and an upper end, the upper endhaving a pivot location; and a pivot bracket which has a first end and asecond end, the first end being pivotally attached to the pivot locationof the pivot bracket.
 2. The mounting bracket of claim 1, furthercomprising a mounting rail to which the lower end of the upwardlyextending bracket portion is attached, which upper end extends upwardlyabove the mounting rail.
 3. The mounting bracket of claim 2, wherein themounting rail further comprises a mounting structure to which the lowerend of the upwardly extending bracket portion is attached.
 4. Themounting bracket of claim 3, wherein the mounting structure extendsoutwardly from the mounting rail.
 5. The mounting bracket of claim 1,wherein the upwardly extending bracket portion and the pivot bracket arepivotally connected together with at least one pivot device.
 6. Themounting bracket of claim 1, wherein the second end of the pivot bracketis detachably attachable to a mounting structure of an RV.
 7. A mountingbracket for mounting fold down furniture to a wall or other structure,the mounting bracket comprising: an upwardly extending bracket portionhaving an upper end and a lower end, the upper end having a pivotlocation; and pivot bracket which has a first end and a second end, thefirst end being pivotally attached to the pivot location of the pivotbracket and the second end being fixable to another structure, whereinthe mounting bracket is connected to a mounting rail having an upperedge, which mounting rail is positioned adjacent to a lower surface of acushioning portion of fold down furniture, the cushioning portion havingan upper surface and a height, wherein the upper end of the upwardlyextending bracket portion extends upwardly and a distance between thepivot location and the upper surface of the cushioning portion is lessthan a distance between the upper edge of the mounting rail and theupper surface of the cushioning portion, and wherein the distancebetween the pivot location and the upper surface of the cushioningportion is about equal to or less than a distance between the pivotlocation and the second end of the pivot bracket, taking into accountany compression of the cushioning portion and decrease of its height. 8.The mounting bracket for fold down furniture of claim 7, wherein theupwardly extending bracket portion and the pivot bracket are pivotallyconnected together with at least one pivot device selected from thegroup consisting of a bolt, a screw, a rivet, a pin, a rod, and aprotrusion on one of the bracket portion and pivot bracket, and acomplementary opening on the other of the bracket portion and pivotbracket.
 9. The mounting bracket for fold down furniture of claim 7,wherein the mounting rail further comprises an outwardly extendingmounting structure to which the lower end of the upwardly extendingbracket portion is attached.
 10. The mounting bracket for fold downfurniture of claim 7, wherein the second end of the pivot bracket isdetachably attachable to a mounting structure of an RV.
 11. Fold down RVfurniture, comprising: a cushioning portion having and upper surface anda lower portion and having a height; a mounting rail having an upperedge, which mounting rail is positioned adjacent to the lower surface ofthe cushioning portion; an upwardly extending bracket portion having anupper end and a lower end, the lower end being attached to the mountingrail and the upper end having a pivot location which is above the upperedge of the mounting rail; and a pivot bracket which has a first end anda second end, the first end being pivotally engaged with the pivotlocation of the pivot bracket and a second end being fixable to anotherstructure, wherein a distance between the pivot location and the uppersurface of the cushioned portion is less than a distance between theupper edge of the mounting rail and the upper surface of the cushioningportion, and wherein a distance between the pivot location and the uppersurface of the cushioning portion is about equal to or less than adistance between the pivot location and the second end of the pivotbracket, taking into account any compression of the cushioning portionand decreases in its height.
 12. The fold down RV furniture of claim 11,wherein the upwardly extending bracket portion and the pivot bracket arepivotally connected together with at least one pivot.
 13. The fold downRV furniture of claim 11, wherein the mounting rail further comprises anoutwardly extending mounting structure to which the lower end of theupwardly extending bracket portion is attached.
 14. The fold down RVfurniture of claim 11, wherein the second end of the pivot bracket isdetachably attachable to a mounting structure of an RV.